The Legend of Melody
by Casey Jewels
Summary: When Melody's sister, Zelda, is captured by the forces of evil Melody must go after her. The fate of Hyrule rests on Melody's shoulders. Can a mere girl save the world? R&R.
1. Chapter 1

The Legend of Melody

Yes, I rewriting this again, but you know what they say—third times the charm.

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or any of that stuff. Any of the creatures or characters that are from the games aren't mine. Most of the people in this story are mine, but a few of the original characters will make an appearance.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Zelda universe, the island Intrepido does not exist outside of this story.

* * *

_Prologue _

Legend has it that long ago there existed Golden Power. This Power lay hidden away deep within the land of Hyrule. One day a man of Great Evil found the Power and took it for himself. The man's power grew over the next seven years. Then a boy dressed all in green appeared. He wielded the _Blade of Evil's Bane_—the Master Sword. He battled this Great Evil and won. This boy had the power to travel through time and so he came to be known as the Hero of Time. A hundred years passed and the Great Evil returned. The people thought the Hero of Time would save them, but he did not appear. Unknown to the people of Hyrule, the Hero of Time had left the kingdom to fight evil elsewhere. The people managed to form an army to fight against this Great Evil, but not before he had nearly taken over control of the land. There has been continual war raging in Hyrule ever since. And, even to this day, the Hylians are still waiting for their Hero to come back and save them.

Intrepido, a large island located a week's voyage away from Hyrule, has its own legends about the Hero of Time. One of these legends states that the Hero of Time visited this island. Since then it has been a custom in a certain family to name their first-born son Link. And all across the island it became a custom to train young boys in the ways of the Hero when they came of age. Now the legend of the Hero continues…

* * *

_Chapter One_

Melody wiped away her tears with the back of her sleeve. How could something so horrible as this happen so abruptly? How? There hadn't been any signs whatsoever. The catastrophe had happened without warning. She sniffed softly. They couldn't be dead, they just couldn't. But there was no escaping that fact; her mother and baby brother were dead.

Her mother, Sofia—the golden-haired, sea blue-eyed, kind lady everyone loved—had died in giving birth to her brother and, to top off the disaster, the baby had died just minutes after birth. Melody's shoulders shook as she fought off another sob. The breeze playfully blew a lock of her blond hair into her cerulean eyes, which flickered with grief. She absently tucked it behind her ear, not taking her eyes off of the tombstone. Just hours earlier her mother and her brother had been buried here, but it felt like an eternity. The entire village, numbering close to forty people, had been at the funeral to pay their respects to them; Sofia was loved by all. She had always had time to stop and chat with people, no matter how busy she was. She was kind to everyone she met and she was the best cook in the entire village. Sofia had never thought about herself, only others. A tear trickled down Melody's cheek and splashed onto the ground. She sniffed and knelt down next to the grave.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "Why now? Why them?" She placed the red rose she was holding next to all of the other flowers. "Why…?"

Melody turned as she heard footsteps behind her. An eleven-year-old girl with curly brown hair stopped next to Melody. Her large brown eyes met Melody's blue ones. "Father told me to come and get you," the girl said softly. She sighed sadly and glanced at the grave. "Dinner's almost ready."

Melody nodded and grabbed the girl's hand for support. They turned and slowly made their way out of the graveyard and across the meadow filled with wildflowers. Halfway across the meadow Melody broke the silence.

"Annie?"

"What?" the girl said.

"Everything's gonna be different now, isn't it?"

Annie slowly shook her head. "I don't know, I just don't know…"

* * *

The sun was setting at their backs when they arrived at the small log cabin they called home. The flowerbeds were filled to the brim with flowers of all kinds and shades. A large willow tree grew in the front yard. Sofia had loved and collected plants of all kinds. The aroma of steak and freshly baked bread greeted Melody and Annie as they entered the cabin. They quickly walked through the bare living room, which was a stark reminder of Sofia, and into the kitchen. There had been a terrible fire in the village a few months ago. Sofia had given the unlucky victims all of the furniture from the living room.

"You've been at the graveyard since the funeral, which was at seven this morning," Zelda said. She was sitting at the table, sewing a hole in one of Melody's tunics. Zelda was the oldest in the family, sixteen. Her lovely golden hair was pulled up in a loose bun, revealing her pointed ears, which was a trait of the Hylian race. Zelda was named after the legendary princess. She was clad in a gray dress of mourning, just like Melody and Annie were.

"I know," Melody replied. She glanced at the plate of steak and the loaf of bread that were on the table. Four wooden plates were set out on the table. Melody sat down in one of the chairs. Tears formed in her eyes as she fought back memories. Melody's family had built nearly everything in the cabin. Her parents had built the cabin itself almost twenty years ago.

Zelda looked up at Annie with her hazel eyes. "Father is in his bedroom. Could you…?"

Annie nodded. "Sure." She entered the hallway, disappearing from sight.

Zelda winced as she accidentally poked herself with the needle. "Why can't you just wear dresses like normal girls?" she asked Melody.

"Because I can't stand them. I'm only wearing this," Melody pinched her dress with obvious distaste, "for Mother."

Annie and a large man entered the room hand in hand. The man, their father, towered over everyone there; he looked to be over six feet in height. His brown eyes, which were pierced with sorrow, quickly scanned the room. Nothing ever seemed to ever escape his notice. He ran his fingers through his dirty brown hair and sighed softly. Annie sat down in one of the chairs. Their father leaned against his chair and looked up at Melody. He knew what she was about to say.

"I know that you aren't hungry, Mel. I'm not either, but we must eat to keep up our strength," he said. His voice was stern, but kind. Back before he had met Sofia he had been a warrior, constantly roaming the land and helping those weaker than him. Scars covered his body from the numerous battles he had fought. Many thought his peerless swordsmanship had to do with his name, which was the same as the legendary hero's, Link.

"All right," Melody mumbled as Link took his seat. Zelda set the tunic under her chair and glanced at her father. He nodded tiredly and she rose. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head. Everyone followed her example. There was a moment of silence and then Zelda began the prayer.

"O Mighty Gods, we thank Thee for this meal placed before us. We thank Thee for the beautiful flowers that are blooming today. Please bless our humble meal. And-" Here her voice broke. "And help us to overcome our grief. Indoxee."

"Indoxee," Everyone repeated. Zelda sat back down and hurridely scrubbed away a tear that was beginning to form. The three girls waited patiently as Link filled his plate with food, as was the custom in that part of the land. The oldest were always served first, the youngest last.

When it was her turn Melody reluctantly took half of a steak and a slice of bread. She nibbled a corner of her bread and then began playing with her food. Everything about this meal was wrong, the empty chair at the end of the table testified to that. And it was always Sofia who said the prayer, not Zelda.

"May I be excused?" Zelda asked. Melody glanced up to see that her plate was bare.

"Me too?" Annie's plate was just as bare.

"Yes," Link answered.

The two of them dashed down the hall, seeking the privacy of their rooms. Melody sighed and halfheartedly poked her steak with her fork.

"Eat," Link said and pushed back his chair. He stood and stacked the empty dishes together.

"I can't," Melody mumbled.

"Two bites of bread and a bite of steak, then you can go to bed."

Melody nodded and slowly ate the required amount of food. She yawned and climbed to her feet. "G'night."

"Good night," Link replied and gently kissed her on the forehead. She quickly walked down the hall and into her room. The door closed behind her with a click. Melody slipped into her bedroll without bothering to change. Her bed had been given to the victims of the fire, but she didn't mind. In fact, she liked the bedroll more than her bed. Melody pulled the blanket over her head and began to sob softly, too exhausted to try to hold back her grief any longer.

* * *

­­­­­­Author notes: Indoxee is the same as amen.

This story takes place a few centuries after The Ocarina of Time, but before Windwaker.


	2. Chapter 2

My computer at home was acting weird as I was rewriting this chapter, so there might be a few mistakes.

* * *

Chapter Two

Melody yawned softly as she opened her sea blue eyes. Sunlight streamed through the window, causing her to squint. _'Why hasn't anyone woken me up?_' she thought to herself. She slowly sat up, pulled the blanket off her and realized that she was still in her mourning dress from yesterday. Groggily, she changed into a green tunic and walked downstairs.

"Hello!" Melody called out, but nobody answered. '_They must all be outside.'_ It was then that Melody glanced at the table and saw a plate of eggs and bacon. She sat down and, without a second thought, devoured the plate's contents.

After she was done eating she headed outside to look for the others. She didn't have to look very far, they were all in the garden tending the flowers. Pain welled up in Melody's chest as a seemingly distant memory came flooding back.

'_If Mother was here she would be tending the flowers right now,' _she thought. In her minds eye she could see her mother reaching down and picking a pair of dandelions from the soft earth to throw in the pile of weeds.

"About time you're up," Annie said as she glanced at Melody.

She broke from her trance and saw her two sisters running to greet her, followed slowly be her father.

"We thought you were going to sleep all day," Zelda said.

"Stop harassing her." Link walked over to Melody, carrying an empty basket. He kissed her softly on the forehead. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. Why didn't anyway wake me?"

"Can't we let you sleep in without being questioned?"

"Sorry." '_There's something I've forgotten about, but what?'_

"Could you gather some grapes?" Link asked.

"Okay," Melody answered as she took the basket from him. She headed out into the woods behind the house. She knew a special place in the forest where the most delicious grapes grew. It took her a quarter of an hour to reach the spot. It was a small glade with a stream running through the center of it. Vines sagging with the weight of purple grapes surrounded the glade. Melody picked grapes till her basket was full, which didn't take very long, considering the amount of grapes around. She set the basket down, walked over to the stream, and got a drink of the cold clear water. Melody picked a few grapes from the vines and ate them. She closed her eyes, savoring the flavor. A few minutes later she took another drink from the stream. Smiling, she picked up her basket and slowly walked home.

It was oddly silent when she arrived home. _'Where is everyone?'_ Melody thought as she looked around. _'Maybe they're inside.'_ She opened the door and entered the house. As she walked into the kitchen the door eerily slammed itself behind her.

"Guys!" Melody shouted. "Where is everyone!"

Annie jumped out from behind the kitchen counter as Zelda and Link burst out of the hallway. "Surprise!" all three of them shouted.

Melody looked at them, stunned. "What's goin' on?"

Annie giggled. "Have you forgotten?"

"Forgotten what?"

"Today's your tenth birthday," Link said.

Melody laughed as she set the basket of grapes on the table. "I can't believe I forgot my own birthday."

"Happy birthday." Annie walked over to her with her hands behind her back. She brought them forward, a pocket sized doll in her hands. The doll's head was too big and hung lopsided. It looked kind of like Annie.

"I made it myself," Annie said. "It's not very good, though…"

"It's wonderful!" Melody exclaimed as she took the doll. "I love it!"

Annie smiled as she took a step back. Zelda came forward holding a light blue wooden flute. She handed it to Melody.

"Thank you," Melody said as she took the flute. She played a scale, listening to the clear beautiful notes. She had learned to play the flute from a friend of hers and had loved it, at the thought of her friend Melody felt a twitch of sadness. Her friend had perished in the fire that had taken place several months ago.

Her dad came forward next. He held out a book that was the size of her hand. The book's cover was dark blue, but there was no title or author written on it. She took it from him.

"It has pictures of the country, facts and other things in it," Link said.

"Thank you," Melody whispered in joy. She placed her presents on the table, and then hugged Annie, Zelda, and her father.

"Time for the cake," Link said. "I know I'm not as good of a cook as your…" Link trailed off as he grabbed a strawberry cake off of the counter. There were ten candles on the cake. "Din's Fire," he muttered and the candles lit.

"Happy, happy birthday to you. Happy, happy birthday to you. Happy, happy birthday Melody, dear. Happy, happy birthday to yooooooouuuu," Annie, Zelda, and Link sang.

"Make a wish!" Annie exclaimed.

Melody thought hard about this. She thought of wishing her mother back, but knew it was a foolish idea. She glanced around the room for an idea of what to wish for. As if guided by fate, her eyes fell on the book. Then she knew, she made her wish as she blew out all of the candles in one breath. _'I wish I could go on an adventure.'_

"What did you wish for?" Annie asked.

"It won't come true if she tells you," Zelda said.

Link set the cake on the table and cut pieces for everyone. He served Melody first. After eating the cake they played games. Zelda had made a piñata in the shape of a horse and had filled it with candy. After they broke the piñata they played tag, hide and seek, and an adventure game. In the game Annie played Ganondorf, Zelda played the legendary princess, and Melody was the legendary warrior, Link. Annie would kidnap Zelda and Melody would rescue her. They had a blast.

"Kids, time to come in!" Link shouted at sunset. Melody, Annie, and Zelda raced towards the door.

"I win!" Melody shouted as she ran into the house. Zelda was next, closely followed by Annie.

"Zelda, Annie, go to bed. I want to talk to you, Melody," Link said as they entered the kitchen.

"Goodnight!" Annie and Zelda said as they headed to their beds. Link gestured at a chair and Melody sat down.

After a minute of silence Link said, "Melody, I have two important things to tell you."

Melody looked up at him. "What is it?"

"Well..." Link sighed softly. "I'll do the easy thing first." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. Melody gasped in wonderment and joy as Link handed it to her. A sapphire hung down from a golden chain.

"It's beautiful!" Melody managed to say.

"A gift from your mother."

"Really?"

"Yes. On the day you were born she told me to give it to you on your tenth birthday. She also said to warn you never to use it for personal gain."

Melody turned the sapphire over. On the back were some strange symbols: _'I wonder what the symbols mean. I don't think Father knows.'_ Melody slipped it over her neck. "Is that supposed to mean that I can't sell it?"

"No. It has ancient magic in it. In time you may learn to use it, and if you do you must never use the ancient magic lightly."

Melody nodded. "I understand."

"Good."

"You said you had two things to tell me. What's the other one?"

"Well..." Link sighed softly. "This isn't easy to say. I thought that since I'm not ever going to have a son and the other girls are too old..." Link trailed off as he stared in Melody's eyes. "Seeing that you like adventures so much… You could try to become a hero, like the Hero of Time, but-"

"Really!" Melody exclaimed, cutting her father off.

"Really, really." Link held up his finger before Melody could interrupt him again. "It will be a very difficult road to travel. You will have to find someone to teach you because all the schools for training boys are only for boys. You will travel all over the land protecting people, if you are worthy to bear the title Hero. You will be hungry at times, you could be injured and you could even be killed. Do you still accept?"

Undaunted by this, Melody stood up, grinning broadly. "It would be an honor to serve my country."

Link stood up and walked over to a cupboard above the stove. Melody knew what lay there; that was where Link stored his things from his Hero days. Link opened up the cupboard and pulled out a tunic, a sword and a shield. He walked over to Melody and set everything on the table, except the tunic, which he handed to Melody.

"Try it on."

Melody took the tunic, ran to her room and quickly changed into it. She walked back to the kitchen dressed in a pair of white pants, a light green undershirt, a green over shirt, a long green hat, a pair of brown boots, and a black bet with a yellow buckle.

"It's perfect," Melody said softly.

Link hugged Melody tightly, tears in his eyes. "My baby girl is growing up."

"It happens to everyone."

Link picked up the sword, which was in its scabbard. He kneeled and clipped it on Melody's belt.

"The sword doesn't weigh anything!" Melody exclaimed in surprise.

Link grinned as he handed her the metal shield. The shield's border had once been white, but years of use had turned it brown. The rest of the shield was cover in blue. On the top part of the blue were three yellow triangles that formed an even bigger triangle. The three triangles stood for the Triforce. The Triforce was made up of wisdom, courage, and power. The lower part of the blue had a red bird on it that looked like a phoenix. The shield was about three feet long and two feet wide, but it weighed nothing, just like the sword.

"It is said this very same sword, shield and tunic were once the Hero of Time's. The sword and shield are weightless because of a spell Princess Zelda placed on them, but the spell only works if certain people are holding the sword and shield."

"Why only certain people?"

Link smiled. "I'll explain everything tomorrow. It's time for you to go to bed."

"But-"

"No buts. It's late."

"Alright," Melody said as she yawned.

"Goodnight. Remember to guard your sword and shield with your life."

"I will. G'night." Melody walked to her room. She set the shield and sword next to her bed. She changed into her blue nightgown and crawled into bed. The second her head hit the pillow she was asleep.

* * *

I'm sorry this chapter was late, but I was really busy with school work, 4-H, and church. I will try to get the next chapter done as soon as I can. Also, my computer at home is really bad. It takes about five minutes to open a document, I'm not exaggerating. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Melody, wake up." A familiar voice commanded gently.

Her eyes flickered open to see her dad was standing next to her.

"It's time to go. I've got everything packed that we need. Grab whatever else you want. The others are already awake."

Melody nodded as he left the room. She stood up, excitement quickly taking the place of sleepiness, pulled her pajamas off and put on a green tunic. She clipped the scabbard on the belt and put her shield over her back. Then Melody grabbed her flute, doll and book and placed them in a small brown sack, which she proceeded to clip onto her belt. Her eyes glistened with excitement. _'I can't believe my dream is finally coming true!'_

After a quick breakfast of eggs and bacon they were on their way to the city. Annie, Zelda, and Melody rode into the back of the wagon while Link sat up front. Link flicked the reins to their black Arabian horse, Zack. Zack began to pull them to Malclan, the big city.

"I'm glad we're going to Malclan City," Zelda said. "We haven't been there for at least six months."

"There's two reasons for that," Annie said. "The first is that it is far away. The second…" Annie drifted off as she looked at Melody.

"What?" Melody asked with a smile.

"You know what," Zelda said.

"Hey, I didn't start the fight."

"No, you didn't."

"You finished it!" Both girls said in unison.

"That rich little boy thought he was all that," Melody said. "I had to teach him a lesson in humility."

"But you could of done it without fighting him," Zelda said.

"He swung at me first. I was merely defending myself."

Zelda and Annie sighed as they shook their heads.

* * *

It was past noon by the time they reached the city. Melody had moved up to sit with her father. A big, booming sign greeted them with the words "WELCOME TO MALCLAN!" written on it in huge yellow block letters. A large purple rose was painted underneath the words. The sign was in the process of being repainted. Melody waved at the man who stood in front of the sign. He was working on painting the rose.

"Zahur, hello!" Melody yelled at him.

Zahur paused in his work and waved at her as they rode past him. "Hi, Melody!"

Melody looked around as they entered the city. The noise nearly deafened her and the many different smells almost overpowered her nose. People were everyone; on the sides of the street, in the street, in stores. Many people had stalls set up on the sides of the street and were yelling for people to come and check them out. Parents were chiding their children, mothers bounced crying babies, and adults were chatting with one another. Melody inhaled the intertwined smells of fresh loaves of bread, fish, countless kinds of perfume, human sweat, animals, and much more. Link skillfully maneuvered through the traffic until he reached the oldest inn in the town, The Red Lion. It was eleven stories high and was made entirely out of red marble. Link parked the wagon between two others.

"Go on ahead," Link said as he climbed down from the wagon. "I need to lead Zack to the stable around back."

"Alright," the girls said in unison as they climbed down. They ran over to the door of the inn. A snarling red lion was painted on the large wooden door. Melody reached it first and held it open for her sisters. She walked in after them and the door swung shut.

"Hello, Legrands," the obese innkeeper said as he walked across the lobby to greet them. "Top floor, rooms 55 and 54."

Zelda smiled as she nodded. "You know us well, Jerry."

"Every time your family visits you stay in the same inn in the same rooms. It's not hard to know what you want. Twenty-five copper coins?"

Annie shook her head. "We don't know how long we'll be here. Could be a day. Could be a week."

"What's going on? And where's Sofia? Are the rumors true?"

"We're looking for somebody to teach me how to fight," Melody said. "Sofia… she…" Melody drifted off as she blinked back tears.

Jerry patted her on the back. "I'm sorry," he murmured softly. He cleared his throat. "Your family can stay here free of charge."

"What!" Annie exclaimed. "One of the most greedy men in town is not charging us a cent!"

Jerry put his finger to his lips. "It's our little secret. And it's only for this once. Go to your rooms before I change my mind." He handed Zelda the two keys.

"Thanks," Zelda said.

The three girls raced up the stairs to the top floor. Melody arrived at Room 54 first, breathless.

"I win!" She shouted as her sisters reached the door.

"That's only because you tripped me," Annie said.

"So?"

"Go help Father," Zelda said to Annie and Melody.

"But we just got up here," Melody complained.

"Race ya!" Annie exclaimed.

Zelda turned to unlock the door as the younger girls ran back down the stairs.

* * *

"I'm going to rest a bit," Link said after they had brought their belongings up. "Do what you want, but make sure you're back before it's dark."

Melody was instantly out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the inn. A few minutes later she arrived at Tedrick's Tasty Treats, which sat at the corner of the street. The bell chimed as she opened the door and stepped into the small shop that was packed to the ceiling with all kinds of candy.

"Hello Melody," a blond haired man said from behind a wooden counter.

"Hi, Tedrick." She walked to the far right corner, where a large jar of chocolate peppermint twists rested on a wooden stool. She grabbed a twist, which was a foot long, and walked over to the counter. She set the twist on the counter as she pulled a green rupee out of her pouch. The bell chimed as a nine-year-old boy entered the shop. He was dressed in a fancy brown shirt and pants that matched his eyes and hair. He flicked an imaginary fleck of dust off of his shirt as he walked towards them, his black boots barely making a sound on the wooden floor. Tedrick hastily grabbed the rupee and stuck it in his small safe behind the counter.

"Hello Steven," Tedrick said as Melody grabbed her twist.

"Those cost two rupees, not one," Steven said as he looked at Melody in distaste.

"Mind your own business," Melody said.

"She works for me so she gets everything half off," Tedrick said.

Steven laughed. "You work here, do you?" he asked Melody. "I must make a note not to come here without gloves and some hand sanitizer. Wouldn't want to get your peasant germs anywhere near me."

She ignored him and took a bite out of her twist; Steven seemed not to take any notice. "Of course Tedrick here must have felt sorry for you, being so generous and giving you half off. It's probably all you and your stinking peasant family could afford."

"That's enough boy!" Tedrick yelled. "Grab whatever your snobby hands can and get out this instant! I won't have you insulting my workers!"

Steven turned on Tedrick. "How dare you talk to me that way, you pathetic excuse for a candy maker! My father will hear about this!"

"It's all right, Tedrick," Melody said. "I was just leaving anyway. Melody walked past Steven and out of the shop. _'Stupid rich kid. Why does he have to be such a jerk?'_ She took a bit out of the twist, savoring the taste as the chocolate melted on her tongue. She heard the bell chime behind her. Steven shoved her as he walked past.

"Watch where you're walking," He said.

"I believe you're the one who ran into me!" Melody exclaimed.

Steven turned and lunged at her. Melody dropped her twist as she toppled to the ground. He tried to pin her down, but she rolled over onto him. They rolled onto the street, anger in their eyes. Steven bit her hand as he reached into his coat pocket. As the struggle came to a stop she felt the cold touch of steel on her throat.

* * *

I got the idea for the candy name of chocolate peppermint twist from the song Peppermint Twist from my Joanie Bartels' Dancin' Magic CD. 


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

The struggle ceased as Melody found herself hauled up into the air by the back of her shirt. She looked over her shoulder to see the face of a man, a brown hood over his head. He seemed to be old and yet young at the same time. He seemed to be wearing brown all over himself, and he smelled somewhat of grease. Steven hung in the formidable grip of the man's other hand, struggling and cursing.

"What is going on here?" The man asked.

"She started it," Steven said, pointing at Melody.

"I don't start fights, I finish them!" Melody exclaimed as she struggled, trying to kick Steven.

The man held them farther apart. "Why did you attack her?" He asked Steven.

"Because she's a peasant and she's getting everything half off in Tedrick's Tasty Treats just because Tedrick feels sorry for her."

The man nodded his head at Melody. "Why are you trying to attack him now?"

"He keeps calling me a peasant! My father is a noble warrior, not a peasant!"

"Tedrick, why does she get everything half off?" The man asked as he looked up. It was then Melody realized they had attracted a crowd.

Tedrick stepped forward. "She works for me."

The man set Melody and Steven down. "Shake hands." They shook hands, glaring at each other in distrust. "I don't want anymore of this nonsense. Now go home."

Steven walked away, holding his head up in an arrogant fashion. Melody started to walk away, holding her head low in shame, but the man called her back.

"What?" Melody asked.

He knelt down next to her. "Walk with pride. Not with arrogance, but with pride. Real warriors never show shame." Melody nodded. "Wait here a sec."

He walked over to Tedrick and spoke to him for a few seconds. Tedrick disappeared into his shop and came out a minute later with two chocolate peppermint twists, which he handed to the man.

"I believe Steven ruined your candy." The man handed the twists to Melody.

"Yes, but I only had one."

"Go home," He commanded gently.

Melody nodded and held her head up as she walked to the inn, a chocolate peppermint twist in each hand. Once in the inn she climbed up the stairs to her room, placed the twists on a desk and climbed into bed. In seconds she was asleep.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

"I'm exhausted," Annie said as she sat down in a wooden chair at the small table.

"We all are," Zelda said as she sat down across from Annie. Melody sat next to her.

"And we still haven't found anyone to teach me," Melody said. "It's been three days."

"We'll find someone," Link said as he patted her head. "I promise. After all, we got really close to getting you a teacher today."

"Yeah," Annie said. "Until he learned that his new student was a girl. Why won't anyone teach girls how to fight?"

"Because it has never been done," Melody said. "Most people don't like change."

"That's right," Link said. "But sometimes change can be good." He smiled as he looked down at Melody. "Warriors must always be prepared for change, good and bad. If you cannot cope with change, you are not worthy to be a warrior."

"Then none of the so-called teachers should be teaching. You can't teach what you don't know."

Everyone chuckled at Zelda's comment.

Melody climbed onto the table and stood. "I will find someone to teach me, and, if I can't, I will teach myself. I will travel the land destroying evil, and helping those in need of help. After my traveling days are over I will open a school for anyone who wants to be a warrior, male and female." Her family applauded and Zelda whistled. "Thank you everyone. I would like to thank my family for coming here tonight. I'd also like to thank all the little people, mostly the Minish, who have helped me get to where I am today," Melody said in sarcasm as she bowed. "You have been a great audience tonight. My next show will be tomorrow, same time."

"Where are the tomatoes?" Link asked as he glanced at his older daughters.

"We can go buy some tomorrow, before her next show," Annie said.

"I know where to find some rotten apples," Zelda chimed in.

"Perfect!" Link and Annie exclaimed in unison.

Melody glared at them. "I'll have you all know, I worked very hard on that speech. I don't like it being made fun off, especially by incoherent baboons."

"If we're baboons," Zelda asked, "what does that make you?"

"Dead meat!" Link grabbed Melody by the waist, and hauled her, potato sack style, into the bedroom.

"No!" Melody screeched as she tried to free herself.

"Yes!" He dumped her in the middle of his bed and proceeded to tickle her. Annie and Zelda joined in.

"Stop it!" Melody shouted as she thrashed around wildly, tears running down her face from laughing so hard. "Stop! Please stop!"

"Are you going to do another show?" Link asked.

"No! Just stop!"

Annie and Zelda stepped back as Link pushed Melody off of the bed. She sat up, breathing heavily with flushed cheeks and frizzed hair. She pulled out her ponytail and combed her hair with her fingers before pulling it back up.

"Alright," Link said with a sigh. "I think it's time for bed."

"Nooooooooooooo!" the girls said in unison.

"Yeeeeeeeeessss!"

"Alright," Zelda sighed. "But that means that you have to let us sleep in."

"Nope. Go to bed with after the sun and…"

"Wake before the sun," the girls finished. They sighed in defeat and walked to their room.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Melody carefully made her way down the stairs, making sure she didn't step on any that squeaked. After hours of tossing and turning in bed she had realized she wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon. She was going out to get some fresh air. She crept towards the door, knowing if Jerry caught her up he would send her back to bed. She pulled out small wire and picked the lock to the inn door. She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Jerry asked her.

"Out to get fresh air," Melody said as her shoulders slumped.

"I'll let you go on one condition."

"What is it?"

"Visit Fangs and Glory."

"But that's a bar! My father would kill me if he knew I was there."

"Go to Fangs and Glory. Order a glass of root beer. Sit in the very back."

"But why?"

"Just do it." He shoved her out the door and closed behind her. Melody turned and tried to open the door, but it was locked. She sighed, knowing he wasn't going to let her back in till she visited the bar. She headed in the direction of Tedrick's shop. The bar was right across from it.

She inhaled deeply. It was a cool clear night. Stars dotted the sky and the moon hung low and bright in the sky. A slight wind blew from the east. She took her time walking to the bar, taking almost twenty minutes. As she pushed the door open, the low murmur of voices greeted her.

Someone let a whistle out. "Looks like a cutie has just walked in!"

Melody blushed, realizing she was still in her green nightgown. She quickly walked over to the bartender, ignoring their other comments.

"Why is someone as young as you doing in here?"

"Can I have a root beer?" she asked quietly.

He studied her face for a few seconds. "Jerry sent ya over, didn't he?" he said as he grabbed a glass. He pulled out a small keg of root beer and poured it in her glass. Her eyes widened as she took it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't bring any…" She drifted off when he held up his finger.

"You will pay me back later, but not in the form of money. Go. Sit." He gestured at the back of the room, where an empty table sat.

"Thank you," she said as she turned to leave.

"No, thank you."

She walked over to the table and sat down. She could feel everyone staring at her back as she slowly sipped her root beer.

"A round on the house!" the bartender shouted. Everyone forgot about her as they rushed over to him.

She sat there for close to ten minutes, wondering why Jerry had told her to come here.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

She turned to see the stranger that had stopped the fight. He still wore his cloak, hood and all.

"Go ahead."

He sat across from her, a glass of root beer in his hand. The stranger slowly drained his cup as he stared at her. She squirmed uncomfortably as the minutes of silence grew into an hour. During that time she pondered several things. She wondered why Jerry had sent her here, wondered whom the stranger was, and wondered what was so significant about the root beer, but she could find no answers.

"Melody, do you have any idea why you're here?" he finally asked her.

The sudden sound startled her out of her thoughts. "No."

"Why are you visiting the city?"

"To find someone who will teach me," she answered, wondering where this was going.

"Teach you what?"

"How to be a hero."

He smiled. "You don't have to be taught how to be a hero to be one." He looked up at her. "Real heroes are just normal people doing great things. Yes, Link had some training, but that was after he started becoming a hero."

Melody nodded. "That's true. But he had to save the world, so he didn't have time to train. I don't have to save the world, so I've got time for training."

"Why do you want to be a hero?"

The question caught her off guard. "Wha…?"

"Why do you want to be a hero?"

"I- I don't know. I mean, I've always wanted too."

"Dig deeper."

I want… I don't know."

"Deeper."

"I want to help people, make their lives better."

"Now we're getting somewhere. But there are more reasons."

Melody slowly traced circles on the table with her finger.

His eyebrows rose. "Well?"

"I want to prove everyone wrong, especially Steven. They all think that I can't become a hero just because I'm a girl."

He nodded. "If you are to become a true hero your intent must be pure." He finished the last of his root beer and stood up. "It's late. You'd better get some rest."

Melody fought back a yawn. "But I'm not tired."

"I'll carry you back if I have to."

She finished off her root beer. "Where…?"

"Just leave the glass on the table."

She stood and took the hand he offered. They walked out of the bar and back to the inn, in silence. Once they were inside the inn he stopped. "Room 37. Seven sharp. Got that?"

She repeated his instructions perfectly.

"Good." He headed towards the stairs. "_Conleeho_."

"_Conleeho_," she replied. _Conleeho_ was one of the few words of the Old Language that she knew. It meant 'Bless you with a thousand good dreams.'

As she watched him disappear from view she realized she didn't know his name. She yawned again. _'I'll just have to ask him tomorrow.'_ She started up the stairs.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

"Wake up, sleepyhead! Wake up!"

Melody groaned as she rolled over. "Let me sleep."

"The sun has been up for hours."

"Wha…?" Melody bolted upright. "What time is it!"

"Eightish. Why?" Annie answered.

"Crap!" She jumped out of bed, threw her clothes on, and ran for the door. "Tell Dad I'll be in Room 37!" She ran out of their room and down the stairs. She reached Room 37 less than a minute later, out of breath. Before she could regain her composure, the door opened.

"You're late," he said.

"I'm… sorry…"

He held the door open for her. "Come in."

"First, I would like you to answer a question."

"Yes?"

"What is your name?"

"Just call me Zale."

She entered the simple room. A bed sat in one corner with a large oak dresser resting next to it. In another corner a small table stood, surrounded by two chairs. Zale closed the door behind her and gestured at a chair. "Sit."

She sat down. "I have a few questions I would like answered, if you don't mind?"

"There will be time for questions later." He started to pace, ten steps in each direction. "You need training. Now. You've already wasted time, and there wasn't a whole lot to begin with."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't explain it, not yet." He turned to face her. "Let me see your sword."

She unclipped it and handed it to him. He fingered the hilt for several seconds before drawing it. He looked up at her. "What sword is this?"

"The Master Sword. It's been handed down in my family for generations."

His voice was grim. "It's a fake."

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Author's Note: I know it's been awhile, but my computer crashed several weeks ago and we just got a new one.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"What!" Melody exclaimed.

"The sword is a fake. The Master Sword may have been in your family at one point, but it's not anymore." He sheathed the sword and handed it back to her. "Whoever made the replica did a decent job. They even managed to get the weight spell right. And this sword looks exactly the same as the original."

"Then how can you tell?"

"This complicates everything," he muttered. "Melody, there's no time to answer questions now. I have things I need to do." He walked over to the dresser and pulled out a small, but fat, book. Its cover was a faded blue. He handed it to her. "I want you to read this. I will talk to you and your family tonight. Go."

"But- "

"GO!"

She bolted out the door, clutching the book to her chest.

* * *

Zale sighed as he sank into a chair. He slowly shook his head. _'I don't think that girl knows exactly what is expected of her. Especially with the Master Sword missing. Last time I checked up on that family they had the real one. I know the sword is not in evil hands, or evil would of struck by now.'_ He looked up, realizing he was not alone. 

"She's the one," the sage, Saria, said. She was clad in her green Kokiri outfit. Her short green hair was combed behind her pointed ears.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Zale replied. "Can you tell me something I don't know? Like where the Master Sword is?"

"Saria laughed. "You never did like to figure things out."

"There's a reason for that. Now, what is the point of your visit?"

"Train the girl, but do not interfere when destiny calls her. If you do, all is lost."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Zale said as he gave a nonchalant shrug, "but I guessed I don't really have a choice."

She smiled. "I knew you would understand. But," She held up a finger in warning. "Training her is not your only task. You have another, but I am not permitted to say anymore at this time."

"It figures," he muttered.

"Dark and treacherous times lay ahead. Be careful."

"I'm always careful."

She threw back her head and laughed. "I've watched over you most of your life. I know how careful you are. Though, I must admit, you have been a little more careful the older you've gotten. I must go now. My time is up."

He nodded. "I hope to see you again, sometime soon."

"I leave you with one more warning. Do not tell Melody about her destiny." Saria waved in farewell as she slowly faded from view. He sighed as he slumped back in the chair.

* * *

Link knocked on the door. "Can I come in?" 

"Go ahead."

He opened the door to see Melody lying on the bed, reading a book. "Where's your sisters?"

"Shopping."

He sat down on the edge of the bed. "What are you reading?"

"The History of Hyrule."

"Where did you get that?"

"I think I found me a teacher. This morning he gave me this book to read." She glanced at the page number before closing the book and setting it on the ground.

"When do I get to meet this teacher?"

"He said he would come and talk to us tonight."

Link sighed as he looked at her. "My baby girl is no more. I see a young woman in her place."

She sat up and hugged him. "I'll always be your baby girl."

A soft smile touched his lips. He mussed her hair before lying her down on the bed. He kissed her gently on the forehead. "You remind me so much of Sofia."

Her eyes shone with admiration. "Really?"

"Yes." He moved a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "So, Miss Hero, do you think you can defeat any monster you face?"

"Of course!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Even the tickle monster?" Before she could answer he began to tickle her.

"Stop!" She shouted in-between her laughter. "Stop!" She rolled off of the bed and onto the floor. Before he could start tickling her again they heard somebody clear his throat. They both looked up.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Zale said, standing in the doorway. "You left the door wide open."

Melody sat up. "Come on in."

He entered the room as Link stood. "And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" her father asked.

"Dad, this is Zale, my teacher. Zale, this is my father, Link."

They shook hands.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you. Where are your other girls?"

"Zelda and Annie are shopping."

Melody noticed a flicker of sadness in his eyes as her father said Zelda's name.

Zale closed the door. He held his pinkie up and blew on it. A light blue powder hit the door, which seemed to absorb it. "I have some very important things we need to discuss. I don't want to be interrupted and I don't want anyone to hear us." He turned to face them. "Have you told your father anything?"

"No," Melody answered.

"The Master Sword is a fake," Zale said, addressing her father.

Link's eyes widened. "When…?"

"I'm not quite sure when. I think it was traded out less than six years ago, but I'm not positive. I don't have a clue where it is at right now, but I am working on locating it. Evil does not have it, but I have a feeling that evil was the cause of its disappearance."

"I will help you in anyway I can," Link said. "With the Master Sword missing no one is safe. It needs to be found as soon as possible."

He glanced at Melody before turning his gaze back to Link. "_Az melik giz, thab melik. Fluzal jabe tac naum slavoc malk plamer uv qim. Az roople malk ganeril ag plamer ous. Saria esoon lume igamo. Baame u baamiltis karsh geerm. Taqir shasha venant aller Hara. Ith naum sla jabe malk Swarde. Montle dextary tionak ith lemai yaar aom ith_." (the translation is at the bottom)

Link nodded. "_Az naum_." (same with this one)

She glared at them. "Could you please speak in a language that I know better?" I know less than fifty words of the Old Language."

"That's why I was talking in it," Zale replied. "It was a grown-up matter."

She rolled her eyes and was rewarded with a smack on the head from Zale. "Ow! What's that for?" she asked as she rubbed her head.

"Manners," he said.

"I'm sorry for being rude."

"That's better. Now, let's discuss your training."

"She needs somewhere to stay while she is training under you. We planned on staying here until we could find her a teacher, and now we've found one," Link said.

"Let me handle that. I'll tell you my decision before you leave."

He nodded.

"I want no visits from you or her sisters for the next several months."

She looked up, startled. "What!"

"You heard me. It's absolutely necessary if you want to become a hero."

Her father nodded. "He's right."

She climbed to her feet and stomped her foot. "That's not fair! You can't keep me away from my family that long!"

Zale stared at her with disapproval. "I can and I will. It's for your own good."

"No!"

"You're acting like a spoiled brat."

She bowed her head at his comment.

"After your training, what were you planning on doing?"

"Helping people," she whispered.

"How are you going to help people if you stay at home the entire time? You've got to breakaway from your family. Several months isn't that long. Many people go longer without seeing or even hearing from their family. You will still be allowed to send letters back and forth, I'm not going to totally cut you off from your family. In order to become a hero you must become independent. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "Yes, Master Zale."

He allowed a small smile to touch his lips. "_Acro_," he corrected her.

She looked up at him. "_Acro_ Zale. Isn't that from the Old Language? What does _acro_ mean?"

"It is the respectful way to say teacher." He raised his eyebrows. "And there is more than one way to be respectful."

It took her a few seconds to get where he was going. "Oh! I'm sorry for the fit."

"Apology accepted."

Link shook his head in amazement. "By the time you're through with her she should be acting very civil and proper."

"That's one of my goals. Now, when are you leaving?"

"Probably tomorrow or the next day."

Zale nodded. "Good. I will send regular messages to you about her progress. That should be just about it for now."

Link held out his hand and they shook. "It's been a pleasure to chat with you."

"Same to you." His gaze turned to Melody as she held out her hand. She could detect a hint of sadness in his eyes. He took her hand and gently kissed it. In silence he walked out of the room, seeming to age ten years with each step.

Melody turned to face her father. "Is it just me, or is there something bothering him?"

He sighed as he looked down at her. "You're not ready to know yet. Be patient, for all things will reveal themselves in due time."

* * *

I thank you for your offer, but no thanks. Neither one of us will be able to find its exact location. I just need to find the general area it is in. Saria visited me earlier today. Dark and dangerous time lay ahead. Your daughter has been chosen as the next Hero. She will be the one to find the Sword. When destiny calls her you must be ready to let her go. I will. 

A lot of dialogue, I know. But I promise you that the next chapter will _have a little less talk, and a lot more action_ (that's a country song, in case you didn't know).

Please R&R!


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_

"You can do better."

Melody wiped her sweaty face with her sleeve. "But that's my fastest time for running around the city!" she protested.

"You can do better," Zale repeated.

"But…"

Zale set down the book he was reading on the bench and walked over to her. Before she could react he shoved her. She stumbled back a few steps, bewildered. He shoved her again, but this time her heels were planted more firmly into the ground so she only stumbled two steps back. He shoved her for a third time, but she didn't budge an inch.

"Every time I pushed you, you did better at holding your ground. If I say you can do better, you can do better." He sat down. "Do it again."

She sighed softly before jogging away. She had heard "you can do better" and "do it again" more times than she could count since her family had left three weeks ago. That was all he ever said to her.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the rope lying on the ground. The rope tightened at the last second. She cried out in surprise as she tripped over it. She landed on her hands and knees, skinning them.

"That's right peasant, bow down before me."

She sat up, glaring at Steven. "What do you want?"

He inspected his nails. "I broke a nail while pulling that rope."

"Serves you right!"

His gaze returned to her. "I'll make this plain and simple for you peasant. I want you to fail."

"Why? Are you still blaming me for the death of your cousin? That was three years ago and it wasn't like it was my fault. Accidents happen. Besides, it was more your fault than mine."

Steven kicked her in the side. "Shut up peasant!"

She knew that she had hit a soft spot. This was her one chance to get back and him for everything he had down to her over the years. She was torn between making the right and wrong decision. Anger made her choice for her. She rose to her feet. "Andrew died because of you! Not me!"

"Liar!" he growled as he lunged for her.

The next thing she knew they were both flat on their backs with Zale standing over them. "Obviously neither of you learned your lesson from last time."

Melody sat up, staring at the ground. She could feel her face burning with shame.

"Who do you think you are?" Steven rose to his feet.

Zale pushed him back down. "I didn't say you could get up yet." He pulled a small coil of rope out of his cloak and proceeded to tie Melody's right leg and Steven's left leg together. "People who don't get along usually don't understand each other. I think you two need to spend more time together."

"What?!" they both exclaimed in outrage.

"You heard me." He started to walk away. "Trust me on this, you will not be able to untie yourselves."

As soon as he disappeared from view Steven and Melody glared at each other. Melody was too upset to say anything and she guessed that Steven was too, for he didn't say anything. He started trying to untie the rope, but somehow only managed to make it tighter. He finally gave up in disgust and tried to rise to his feet, but was pulled back down.

He glared at her for several seconds. "Up," he commanded.

She folded her arms. "No. Not as long as you talk to me like that."

An hour slowly passed as they sat there in silence, neither one looking at the other. Melody's stomach grumbled. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet and it was growing close to lunchtime. Her stomach complained again, louder. She could tell from the smirk on Steven's face that he had heard it too. She tapped the road with her finger, trying to ignore her hunger.

As the time passed more and more people walked by. They glanced at the two of them curiously, but they made didn't make any comments.

_Dong!_

The clock tower rang out the hour, one. They had been sitting there for nearly four hours. Melody's anger had been replaced by hunger.

"We need to work together to get up," Melody finally said through gritted teeth.

Steven was silent.

"Look, if you're expecting an apology you're not gonna get it," she continued. "Now are we going to get up or are we not?"

Steven tried to rise to his feet, still not saying a word. Melody tried to climb to her own, but she lost her balance. They both yelped as they cracked heads.

"Watch it, oaf!" Steven said as he rubbed his head.

"You watch it!" she snapped, rubbing her own head.

After several more attempts they were finally on their feet. Melody tried to go to the right while Steven tried to go to the left. Once again they found themselves on the ground. This time they managed to get to their feet on the second try.

"We need to agree on a place to go," Melody said.

"We are going to The Sands of Time. That is the only place I eat aside from my home."

"Only if you're paying."

"I'm only paying for myself."

Melody shook her head. "I can't afford any fancy restaurants. Let's go to The Mirage."

"I'm not going within ten feet of that disgusting place."

Melody sighed. Today was going to be a long day.

Twilight was just beginning to fall when Zale found them sitting on a bench in the park. He knew they hadn't learned a thing from the way they weren't speaking or even looking at each other. He sighed softly before walking over to them. He bent and untied the rope.

"About time," Steven said, walking off.

"How did it go?"

"Horrible!" Melody exclaimed.

"Did you learn anything?"

"Yes!" she snapped. "I learned he's even brattier than I thought!"

He put his arm over her shoulder as they started towards the inn. "Melody, everybody reacts to events in a certain way. Steven has had a hard life. You know that his mother died when he was three, right?"

She nodded. "She died from a fever."

"That's what most people think. She actually was beaten to death, right before Steven's eyes. Steven has been abused too. To hide the bruises he always wears a long-sleeved shirt and pants."

Melody's eyes widened in shock. "I never knew…" She looked up at Zale. "Who's doing it? We haft to put a stop to it."

"I cannot tell you. Promise me that you won't say a word about this conversation to anyone. And don't worry about Steven. I've been watching over him for a long time."

"I promise."

This chapter has a little more dialogue than I wanted, but bear with me. I had serious writer's block with this chapter. I'm almost done with Chapter Seven. It's basically writing itself. So you won't have too long of a wait for it.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7_

Vincent stood outside the door, his knees shaking and sweat dripping down his body. He lifted a hand to knock, but lowered it. He licked his lips and brought up his fist again, but couldn't bring himself to knock.

The door slowly swung open, causing him to take a step back.

"I've been waiting for you, Vincent," a deep voice said. "Come in."

The raven-haired man gulped before slowly walking into the enormous, but nearly empty room. At the very end of the room was a large fireplace, which was lit. A large maroon chair faced the fire. The sinister figure resting in the chair was almost completely hidden from view.

"Y-you wanted m-m-me M-ma-aster?" Vincent stuttered.

"Close the door."

He did as he was told.

"Come closer."

He took a few steps closer.

"Closer."

He stopped three feet away from the chair.

"Where is the Sword?"

"I-I-"

"You don't have it, do you?"

"Master, I had it! I did! I switched the swords just like you instructed me to!"

"Where is it?" The voice held a sliver of anger in it.

"I-I had it. I was on-on m-my way h-here when the s-suf-sufas attacked m-me."

"So the sufas have it?"

"Yes! No! I don't know!" he cried out in anguish.

"So are you telling me that you failed in your task?"

"Mercy, Master! Mercy!" He fell to his knees, sobbing.

"Why should I grant you mercy?" He spat out the word like it was poison.

"I searched for-for three y-years after the-the S-sword w-was l-l-lost-t."

"And you still didn't find it. You need a better reason than that."

"I…I…"

"Well? Your time is growing short, Vincent. Three. Two. One. Time's up."

"Wait! I-I got it!"

"Then speak."

Vincent cleared his throat. "I saw her."

"Who?"

"Zelda's descendent, the one that bears wisdom."

"Where?!" he nearly shouted, greed showing in his voice.

"Malclan, at least she was there a month or so ago. Her family had the Sword."

He laughed softly. "That means you know where she lives?"

"Yes, Master. But," He rose to his feet. "I think-"

"Since when do you do the thinking?" he interrupted in anger.

"Sorry, M-master. The girl's sister wants to become a hero."

"Why should I care about that?"

"Zale is teaching her."

"Zale?"

Vincent nodded before realizing his master could not see him. "Yes."

"So he has decided to come out of hiding," he muttered to himself. He fell silent.

After a few minutes of silence Vincent couldn't stand it any longer. "What am I-I to d-do, M-master?"

"What is the girl's name?"

"Melody."

"I want you to watch Melody closely. If Zale's taking an interest in her she must be destined for something great. Something that might hinder my plans."

Vincent sighed in relief. He wiped the sweat off of his face with his dark robe. "I won't fail you this time, Master." He bowed and walked towards the door.

"Vincent."

He turned. "Yes, Master?"

"Mercy is not a word I'm very familiar with. Next time I may not remember what it means."

Vincent gulped as he hurried out of the room.

* * *

Jerry stoked the fire in the lobby. He yawned as he rubbed his hands together. Rain was pouring outside and the chill was starting to seep in through the walls. The grandfather clock on the far side of the room chimed two. As the sound died away he heard the front door open. Good, they were back. That meant he could head to bed. 

The door to the lobby opened and a tall sallow-faced man walked in. He was completely drenched, but he didn't seem to notice. A smile was pasted on his face.

"Good morning, sir," Jerry said. "What can I do for you?"

"I have traveled a long ways and would like a room for the rest of the night, and probably tomorrow too."

Jerry nodded. "It costs three copper coins per night."

The stranger jiggled his purse. The sound of coins jiggling was music to Jerry's ears. "I got plenty of money."

Jerry led him over to his desk and tapped a small stack of papers. "When you find the room you want sign your name."

He quickly scanned the list until he found the room he wanted. He grabbed the quill, dipped it in the pot of ink, and scrawled his name on the paper. Jerry glanced down at the page. "So you want Room 38, Mr. Vincent?"

Vincent nodded. Jerry pulled a set of keys out of his pocket as he walked behind the desk. He unlocked one of the drawers and pulled out a small iron key, which he handed to Vincent. "Here you are."

Vincent put the key in his pocket and set six coins on the desk before heading to his room.

Melody entered a few minutes later, soaked to the bone. "You didn't have to wait for us," she said to Jerry.

"Who said I was waiting for you? I was about to go to bed."

Zale stepped in after Melody and closed the door. He was bone-dry. Jerry raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing.

"You can't always trust those that come at two in the morning." He gestured at the wet floor.

"My business it my business, Zale. Stay out of it."

He held up his hands. "I'm not prying, only warning." He started up the stairs. "Melody, go dry off by the fire before coming up," he called over his shoulder.

"All right."

Melody headed upstairs a few minutes later, leaving Jerry alone once again.

* * *

Vincent pulled off his muddy boots and hung his wet cloak on the chair. He froze as he heard Zale walked past his door and into his room. As soon as he heard the door shut he began to breathe again. Zale worried him. If he wasn't extremely careful Zale would know what he was up too. He finished undressing and had just climbed into bed when he heard Melody walk by. She had the room on the other side of Zale. He grinned in anticipation of what was to come. He was not going to fail in his task, not this time. He pulled the blanket closer, trying to stop his shivering. Not much time passed before he drifted off into an uneasy sleep…

* * *

Merry Christmas everyone! 


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight_

"Melody!" Annie shouted as she ran through the streets and towards the inn. "Melody!" She was in a state of near panic, making it nearly impossible for her to think straight. She turned the corner sharply and collided into Zale. He caught her before she could fall to the ground and pulled her to her feet. He drew her close to him as she began to sob.

"Shh," he murmured softly. "Dry those tears and tell me what is the matter." Her sobs just became harder. Zale waited patiently for her sobs to abate, all the while softly stroking her head.

After a few minutes she pulled away from his and sniffed softly. "M-my father… he's… sob… hurt."

"Where?"

"J-just out-t-side of… sob… town."

He knelt down and looked her in the eye. "Look, I know your upset, but you need to tell me what happened."

Annie nodded and swallowed. "We… we were attacked… It hurt Father…"

"Where is Zelda?" he asked her, panic in his eyes. "Where is she?!" He shook her shoulders when she didn't respond.

"Gone," she whispered at last.

Zale cursed softly as he stood. He ran his fingers through his hair, fighting to stay in control of his emotions. He wouldn't allow himself to panic. "Run back to your father. I will be there as soon as I can." He turned her around and pushed her. She stumbled and then broke into a run. Zale ran towards the inn, where Melody was practicing sword techniques. She was sharp, so it hadn't taken her long to learn all of the bookwork, but her skill with weapons was lacking. Five weeks with a wooden sword and she still hadn't got the basics down. Her biggest fault was she tended to rush things instead of taking it nice and slow. For some reason he couldn't fathom, she didn't use her brain while fighting, which was something that could easily get her killed.

"Melody!" he shouted as soon as he saw her. "Get your butt into gear and follow me!"

She knew from the expression on his face and the tone of his voice that it wasn't wise to argue. She ran after him, not even taking time to drop the wooden sword in her hand.

* * *

Melody paled as she arrived at the scene of the attack. The wagon had been overturned and torn to pieces. In several spots the ground was black with ash. She could still feel the heat in the air. Zack was nowhere to be seen, but she could make out several of his hoof prints in the dirt. Annie was leaning over the still body of their father. 

"No…" she breathed. Her knees wobbled and she slowly walked over to him. She knelt and studied his chest. To her relief she could see it rising and falling. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes as she glanced at his wounds.

His right leg was mangled and twisted at a grotesque angle. His side was bleeding and his left arm had been burned. A large gash could be seen on his forehead.

"Move aside," Zale said to the two girls. They moved, giving him room to sit. "Where's a fairy when you need one?" he muttered and began to check Link's wounds. "He looks worse than he actually is," he told the girls, knowing he had to calm them down. "The wounds on his forehead and side aren't very deep and his arm was burned from the heat of the flame, not the flame itself. He's got two cracked ribs, but those will heal in time. The only wound I'm worried about is his leg. He's not going to be walking for awhile."

"Is he going to be all right?" Annie asked.

Zale looked up at her. "The sooner we get a stretcher here to take him to _The Fairy's Return _the sooner he will be on the road to recovery."

Annie nodded and took off running towards the hospital.

"What happened?" Melody asked softly.

"He found her," he said grimly. "I'm not sure how he knew she would be coming here, but he found her."

"Who found who?" Melody asked in confusion, still watching her father's chest. "Where's my sister?"

"I'm not quite sure what exactly happened, but Zelda's been kidnapped." He felt Link's pulse.

"No… I have to rescue her." She took a step forward on shaky knees.

"She's gone," Zale said. "She's gone."

Unable to hold them back any longer, Melody burst into tears.

* * *

Melody stared at her father numbly. He was asleep in one of the hospital beds. A splash of color had returned to his face, but he was still pretty pale from loss of blood. Annie sat in a chair next to Melody. She had been treated for a few minor scratches, but that was all. 

Zale walked into the room and sat in the remaining chair. "Annie… could you please tell us what happened?" he asked her gently. "We need to know."

She nodded and reluctantly began to speak. "We… we were coming to purchase supplies… We were almost there when…" She swallowed painfully. "When a large dragon appeared… he must have been at least as big as a two-story house, if not bigger… He was completely black, except for his eyes, which were red. Father… he seemed to know what the creature was here for. He instantly leapt up in front of… of Zelda. He tried to fight off the dragon, but it was too powerful…" She sniffed softly. "It took her away… and I… I did nothing to stop it…" Tears threatened to fall from her already crimson eyes. "I'm so useless…"

"There was nothing you could have done," Zale said gently. "Which way did the dragon go?"

"West."

Melody looked out of the window at the setting sun. _'West…'_ she thought. _'Zelda's somewhere to the west. That's where I need to go. West…'

* * *

_

Vincent sat in the back of the bar, sipping a drink. Things were going along perfectly. His master had the girl and Zale couldn't leave yet because of his responsibility to the family. Soon Melody would leave to rescue her sister and she would be killed on her journey. As soon as Melody left a siege would be placed on this town, making it impossible for Zale to go after her. He chuckled softly. Everything was falling into place.

* * *

She was headed west. Around midnight she had gotten up and saddled the horse Zale that bought her, Lightning. She had packed everything she needed for her journey in the saddlebag and left. With her sword and shield strapped to her back and the stars shining down on her she felt confident and full of hope. 

"I'm going to make everything right again," she whispered to Lightning. She patted the brown and white mare. "I'm going to get my sister back." She looked up at the landscape to see trees in the distance. She shuddered. Those trees belonged to Jiodow Forest, a place of unspeakable horror. Everybody avoided the forest like they avoided the plague. She was planning to travel along the outskirts.

She leaned against her horse's neck. The only sound that could be heard for miles was the thud of the horse's hoofs striking the ground. Soon the noise changed into a soothing lullaby, singing her to sleep. Her eyelids drooped and her breathing slowed. Lightning, unguided, walked into Jiodow Forest, the forest of shadow.

* * *

Yea! My writer's block for this story has officially broken! Now things have finally been set into motion. 

Review peoples! You know you want too!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything from the Zelda universe. But wolfos and sufas are mine. So there.

_Chapter Nine_

She woke with a vile-tasting rag stuffed in her mouth. Alarm raced through her entire body. That alarm was quickly mixed with horror as she realized that her wrists and ankles were bound with thick ropes. She began to struggle against her bonds, but only succeeded in making them tighter. She gave up and opened her eyes.

Darkness greeted her, but it wasn't complete darkness. She was lying on short, prickly grass, which was very uncomfortable. Ancient trees surrounded her, blocking out the sunlight. And around the trees thick vines coiled, slowly choking the life out of them. Her eyes widened in terror as it dawned on her where she was… Jiodow Forest.

She could just make out the forms of the three creatures that stood a couple feet away from her. They were having a heated discussion of some sort. Her tender ears were throbbing painfully from their harsh language. The creatures reminded her of a lizalfos, but they were wolf-like instead of lizard-like. They stood about seven feet tall and were clad in leather tunics. They had large, well-developed muscles. Chain mail hung over their chests, clinking every time they moved. Each creature had two swords strapped to his back. Their mouths, which jutted out grotesquely, were full of sharp canine teeth. And their eyes were dark red slits.

Her cry of horror was muffled by the gag, but they heard her. The three of them walked over to her, their faces illuminated with cruel smiles. One of them knelt beside her. He said something to the others and all three of them burst into laughter. She involuntarily flinched as he placed a claw on the tip of her nose. He laughed and smacked her. She whimpered, blood tickling out of her nose. He stood up and took a step back. One of the other two stomped down hard on her right leg. She cried out in pain as a sickening snapping sound filled the air. Her eyes squeezed shut and they began to laugh. Tears of pain came unbidden to her eyes. How could any creature be so cruel as to actually _enjoy_ someone else's pain?

The third creature (at least she thought it was the third, they all looked the same to her) cut the rope that bound her feet, grabbed her by her hair, and hauled her to her feet. She collapsed with a sob. He grabbed her again and forced her to her feet, holding her up until she could stand. She trembled and tears ran down her face. He pushed her forward. Her leg buckled and she fell. They forced her back to her feet once again. Melody took a slow step forward and then another, sobbing violently. The pain was simply _unbearable_. Her vision swam and she lurched forward. The ground rushed up to meet her…

* * *

The vulpine creature peered through the leaves at the scene laid before her. The hair on the back of her neck bristled. A pack of wolfoses, numbering eleven, were camped in the clearing. A large bonfire was burning in the center of the camp. What it was for, she didn't have a clue. She heard a small sniffle and looked down to see a very young teenager tied to the trunk of the tree. Blood stained the girl's clothing.

"Serve's her right," the creature muttered under her breath. "Her kind's nothin' but trouble." But she couldn't tear herself away. The girl was in serious trouble and needed help. The creature laid her head on her paws, waiting for the right time to free the girl.

The sun slowly sank beneath the horizon, taking with it what little light it had given to the forest. Two of the wolfos walked over to the girl. The creature's ears flattened as they spoke in their harsh tongue. One of the wolfoses cut the ropes that bound the girl. The human fell to the ground with a cry filled with pain. They forced her to her feet and towards the bonfire.

That's when the vulpine creature realized what the fire was for. Her eyes widened in horror. The girl was going to be a burnt offering! As much as the creature hated humans she couldn't let this happen, not right in front of her eyes.

The leader of the pack, a wolfos covered in many scars, looked up at the sky and began to chant. The other pack members soon joined in. The chanting grew louder and the wolfoses began to dance around in a frenzy. The air was thick with the scent of fear, which was emitting from the human. The chant and the dance ended with a long, loud howl. The leader moved to push the girl into the flames. And that's when the creature made her move.

* * *

"Our family is falling apart," Annie said numbly, staring at the wall. "Mother's dead, Zelda's been kidnapped, Father's hurt, and Melody's run away." She sniffed softly. "But at least Melody's doing something. I'm just sitting here like a lump, too scared to do anything. I'm a failure, just a big stupid failure…"

She lowered her gaze to look at the sleeping form of her father. Two days had passed since the healers had cleaned and bandaged his wounds. He looked a little better, but he still hadn't awakened. She desperately wished he would. She needed somebody to talk to. Sure, there was Zale, but she wasn't completely comfortable with him yet.

"I need you, Dad," Annie whispered. She grabbed his limp hand with her own and held it tight. "Please don't leave me… I need you…" She would have cried, but there were no tears left to shed. Instead she bit her lip. The pain felt good and she bit down harder, drawing blood.

* * *

Melody quivered in fear, her eyes wide. The heat of the fire was making her sweat profusely and the wolfoses chant was sending chills down her back. The wolfoses let out a long, loud howl, causing her to cringe. The leader of the pack moved to push her into the fire. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting to stay calm. There had to be a way out of this. She couldn't die here, not when she had barely begun her journey. Her body tensed for the expected push, but it never came.

"Get out of my forest!"

Melody turned to see a fox-like creature slam into the leader's chest. The leader stumbled back a few steps, but quickly regained his balance. He grabbed the two swords strapped to his back and unsheathed them. He charged at the small flying creature. She laughed and easily dodged his attack, her white angelic wings beating powerfully. He lunged at her, but she was too fast for him. She zipped behind him and bit his neck. He howled in pain and began spinning around, trying to knock the creature off of him. When that didn't work he reached behind him and grabbed her by the legs. He yanked her off of him and threw her to the ground.

That's when Melody got a chance to study the creature. She resembled a fox, but was larger in build. Her fur was rusty red in color. Her paws and ear tips were black while her stomach and the tip of her tail were white. A small white horn protruded out of her forehead. Two large wings jutted out of her back. Even though Melody had never seen one before she knew what it was… a sufa.

The sufa groaned and groggily lifted up her head. The leader rushed towards her, his swords ready to slice her to bits. Melody couldn't stand idly by for a second longer. She threw herself at the wolfos, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. Her eyes widened in surprise and pain as she felt one of the swords slice her hands. She brought her hands forward and stared at the blood dripping from her fingers. As the shock began to fade away she realized that her hands were no longer bound. By that time the wolfos was back on his feet and coming towards her. Melody quickly scrambled to her feet and backed away. She pulled the gag out of her mouth.

"Run!" the sufa shouted at her. She was back in the air.

"I…" Melody swallowed, her mouth dry.

"Go!"

She turned and began to run. The leader uttered a harsh cry and she heard the rest of the pack chase after her. The sufa landed on her head, causing her to stumble.

"Left!" the sufa shouted. "Go left!"

Melody instantly obeyed. The ground seemed to give way under them. Melody screamed in terror. An inky darkness surrounded her and the sufa. They were falling, but it was slower than a normal fall. It was as if gravity had been cut in half. Melody slammed into the ground. The breath was knocked out of her, but other than that she was fine. The sufa landed in front of Melody. The only light in the tunnel came from her horn, which was glowing dimly with white magic.

"Where… where are we?" asked Melody as she took in her surroundings. The tunnel was barely large enough for her to stand in. It looked as if it had been carved out of solid rock.

"I can't tell you." The sufa stared at the ground. "I shouldn't of brought you here, but what's done is done." She looked up at Melody. "The name's Rainstorm. What's yours?"

"Melody. Thanks for saving me."

"Follow me." Rainstorm started down the tunnel. "The sooner I get rid of you, the better."

Melody followed Rainstorm, limping heavily. "But what are you doing here? I though sufas were just a myth."

"You can find a sufa just about anywhere if you know where to look."

* * *

Steven set the comb down and inspected himself in the mirror. He was clad in a crisp black suit. His hair was neatly combed back and his face was freshly scrubbed. He was completely ready for the mayor's dull party, except for one thing. He gently touched the bruise on his cheek, wishing it would just disappear. His father had been really angry that morning. Angry enough to hurt Steven where everyone could see it. If anyone asked Steven about it he was supposed to say that he got it in a fight.

He sighed and grabbed his dagger, which he slid into a pocket on the inside of his suit. He never went anywhere without a weapon. He checked himself in the mirror one last time before heading out of his room.

The party was exactly how Steven expected it to be, dull. The adults talked quietly with one another and acted as if he wasn't even there. The music was slow and depressing. Steven sighed softly and leaned against the wall.

"You're Cole's son, aren't you?"

Steven looked up as a tall, sallow-faced man walked up to him. "Yes, what of it?"

He pulled a ring with a black stone on it out of his pocket. "I was told to give this to you."

Steven grabbed the ring and slid it onto his left pointer finger. A chill ran down his spine as he studied the flawless stone. He tried to pull it off but it wouldn't budge. "What the…" He looked up to see that the man had vanished. He scanned the guests, but couldn't see the man among them.

"Is anything the matter, boy?" Cole asked, walking up to his son.

Steven looked at the ground. "No, sir," he mumbled.

"Who was that you were talking to?"

Anger flared through his body. Who he talked to was none of his father's business. "Stay out of my business, old man!" Steven shouted.

"That is no way to talk to your father, especially in public," Cole growled. He raised his hand in warning.

"Go ahead," Steven taunted. "Everyone's watching."

Cole lowered his hand as he realized that everyone was indeed watching. "Tonight," he hissed before walking away from his son.

Steven smiled. He didn't care what would happen once they got home. He had won a battle with his father. He was in control. And he liked it.

* * *

Melody sank to the ground, unable to go any farther. Rainstorm turned to face her.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "We haft to leave this place."

"I… can't…" Melody's face was pale and she winced as she touched her leg.

Rainstorm ran over to Melody. "I'm so sorry! I was so busy thinkin' about gettin' you away from here I didn't even think about your leg!"

"I… forgive you." She winced again as she carefully shifted her leg into a more comfortable position.

Rainstorm lowered her head so that her horn was touching Melody's leg. "You're just about to see the true power of a sufa." The glow of her horn intensified and seemed to spread to Melody's leg. Melody gasped in wonderment. The pain faded away to be replaced by numbness. And then the numbness faded away and she could feel her leg once again.

"So the legends are true…" Melody breathed.

Rainstorm inspected the leg and nodded in satisfaction. "There, as good as new."

Laughter could be heard further up the tunnel. Melody and Rainstorm both looked up at the source of the noise. Two sufas had just rounded the turn and were walking towards them.

"Mulder and Kearn," Rainstorm whispered, backing away.

"Somebody's in trouble," Mulder growled. "Big trouble."

* * *

Yay! I finally updated! Review my minions! Review!

On a side note, since the first chapter is the weakest part of this story, I have rewritten it.

Sufas are MINE!!! You steal them and I will personally hunt you down and kill you! They are in some of the books I plan on publishing.

Review!


	10. Chapter 10

Author's note: Sorry for the long, long wait. I had problems with the beginning of this chapter. I just couldn't get it right. I kept rewriting and rewriting and rewriting it. I finally just forced myself to continue with it. So here it is.

* * *

_Chapter Ten_

Melody and Rainstorm were "escorted" through a maze of tunnels to what Mulder and Kearn called The Headquarters. The entrance to the large cavern was guarded by two fierce-looking sufas, who both stepped forward with a snarl at the group. Melody faltered, fear engulfing her. If the legends about sufas were to be believed, then even just one of the guards could take her out in a heartbeat.

"We must talk to the Elders," Kearn said, stepping forward. "As you can see, it's very urgent."

"You don't need to state the obvious," the guard on the left said and glared in Rainstorm's direction. The young sufa squealed in terror and dashed behind Melody. Melody could feel Rainstorm trembling as she pressed herself up against her legs. She glanced back at Rainstorm and started to speak, but fell silent at the sound of footsteps.

"Pathetic!" a cold, arrogant voice spat. The guards stepped aside to reveal the speaker—a large, female sufa. The fur around her eyes was turning white, but that was the only sign of her great age. Powerful muscles rippled with each step she took; sleek wings, white as a new fallen snow, were tucked in close to her sides. Her shrewd white eyes glanced at the bowing figures of Kearn, Mulder, and Rainstorm before finally settling on Melody. "A girl. A human girl," she said. Melody squirmed uncomfortably under the sufa's stern gaze.

"Naresha, I can explain…" Rainstorm drifted off as the sufa's attention shifted to her.

"Oh, you've got a lot of explaining to do," Naresha said, her voice cold. "A lot." She turned her back on them and started towards the Headquarters. "Rainstorm, Human, come." She paused, looking back at Kearn and Mulder. "Go. I'll send for you two later."

Kearn and Mulder exchanged worried glances.

"That's when we'll discuss your rewards," she said, a hint of laughter in her voice.

They sighed in relief and quickly scurried down the tunnel without as much as a goodbye.

"Come on, you two," Naresha snapped at Melody and Rainstorm, both of whom hadn't budged an inch.

"Uh… Sorry," Melody mumbled. She forced her wooden legs into action and followed Naresha into the Headquarters. A quick glance behind her revealed that Rainstorm was following closely behind her, eyes fixed on the ground.

"Dowd, Pyre, we've got a slight problem," Naresha said. Melody jerked her head around to see whom Naresha was addressing, but then something else caught her attention. A gasp escaped her lips as she caught sight of the cave walls, which were made entirely out of diamonds. A glint of blue caught her eyes and she looked down at the floor to see that it was covered in sapphires.

"Wow…" she breathed.

"Slight? I'd say this is more than slight."

Melody swallowed nervously as she caught sight of the room's occupants, both of whom were watching her with a scrutinizing gaze. Her feet faltered and she offered a weak smile at the two sufas, who were as ancient looking as Naresha.

"Yes, Pyre, I said 'slight,'" Naresha replied. "I don't think this will take us very long to sort out."

"Hmph," the sufa on the left said and tilted his head to one side. Melody gasped in shock as she realized that his right ear was missing. His cyan eyes flashed with irritation at the sound. "We're dealing with two very serious offenses here. Sounds too me like this might take awhile. What do you think, Dowd?" He glanced at his companion.

"Depends on how smoothly things run," Dowd said with a shrug of his shoulders.

The two of them walked over to Melody, Rainstorm, and Naresha, hostile expressions on their faces.

"Uh… Hello?" Melody smiled weakly at the two sufas, but her smile quickly faded from view.

"Did we say you could speak?" Pyre asked, but then he continued on, answering his own question. "No. You humans are all the same—greedy, bloodthirsty, stupid, and ill-mannered."

"Let's not start this again," Dowd said. "The last time he went on a rant about humans it lasted for nearly eight hours."

"Both of you hush," Naresha said, "so that we can get on with this."

The two Elders glared at her, but they sopped their bickering.

"Forward, Rainstorm."

The young sufa reluctantly crawled out from behind Melody. "Yes?" she mumbled with a stiff bow of her head to each of the sufas.

"Why did you return, especially with a human?" Naresha swished her tail back and forth. "I would have thought that you'd be the last sufa to do such a thing, considering how much trouble you're in all ready. You obviously have no regards whatsoever for the laws of the sufas."

"I had to bring her here. She needed help. Those stupid wolfoses were going to kill her! I couldn't just sit there and watch it happen! And then they chased after us once I freed her and her leg was hurt so she couldn't run very far and there was a hole close by and the were almost upon us and—"

"That's quite enough," Naresha said, cutting off Rainstorm. "I don't want any stories, lies, or excuses. I want the truth and I want it now."

"But… That is the truth. I'm serious!"

"Funny, but we don't believe that," Pyre said.

"But…"

"Maybe if you told the truth more often we'd believe you," Dowd said. "And, even if she had gotten into trouble with the wolfoses, you could have just flown away. All you've done is dug a deeper hole for yourself."

"You're last punishment obviously wasn't enough," Pyre growled. "So it looks like we'll have to step things up a notch."

"How much trouble is she in?" Melody asked, unable to stay silent any longer. She instantly regretted her question, as it caused all three Elders to glare at her.

"Death is the penalty for bringing a human here," Naresha said, breaking the silence that had fallen upon the small group. "And death is also the penalty for coming back once you've been exiled."

Melody looked down at Rainstorm in shock. Everything had suddenly become painstakingly clear—Rainstorm's eagerness at not being discovered, the hostility everyone was showing to her, the questions about why she had come back. _She's in serious trouble for coming back, never mind the fact that she brought me with her._

"So you plan on killing me twice?" Rainstorm asked, her voice full of sarcasm. "Is that it?"

"No, not twice," Pyre said. "But we are going to kill you, along with the nasty little human."

* * *

Steven slammed his door shut and hurriedly shoved his dresser in front of it. He dived under his bed and curled into a tight ball. He heard the doorknob jiggle and a loud _thud_ as the door collided with his dresser. Terror ate at him and he had to bit his lip to stop himself from crying out.

"Open up!" came the enraged voice of his father as he continued to swing the door into the dresser. With each bang Steven bit his lip harder. Blood soon gushed out of his bottom lip, but the pain was nothing compared to the terror he felt.

"I said 'open up!'" He slammed the door against the dresser with all of his strength and the dresser fell to the ground. Steven flinched and squeezed his eyes shut in panic.

_'He's gonna kill me. He's gonna kill me. Gods, if you can hear me, please help me.'_ Steven clasped his hands together tightly and looked towards the sky.

The bed was thrown away from him and it hit the wall, knocking a large whole into it. "Hiding isn't going to help you," Cole said. "Come face me like a man. You didn't seem to mind confronting me in front of all of those people!" Each time his steel-toed boots hit the ground with a loud thud Steven would flinch. His father stopped and squatted down next to him. He was so close that Steven could smell the alcohol on his breath. The odor sickened him and caused his stomach to twist into even more knots than it already was in.

"Don't hurt me," he pleaded, looking up into his father's cold, angry eyes. "I'll behave! I promise! I'll do everything you say! Just don't hurt me!" His voice had become high-pitched with both fear and desperation.

"You're nothing but a bloody coward. That's all you'll ever be. You're no son of mine."

The words stung more than any wound he had ever received. He felt as if the ground had suddenly vanished from underneath him. He had known that his father hated him, but this… Steven's pleas died on his lips. He stared at the man who he had called father, but he only saw a stranger standing before him. His left hand flared up with pain; a hatred such as he had never known before filled him. His fear vanished as he focused every bit of energy he possessed into his anger.

"And you're no father of mine." Steven's voice was cold and full of arrogance, like when he talked to the peasant girl. He swiftly pulled out his dagger and placed the tip at Cole's throat. Cole's eyes widened in shock and he started to pull away, but he stopped when Steven shook his head. "You're the one that's a bloody coward. To hide your own fear you made me fear you. To relieve your anger you hurt me. You sicken me." He raised the dagger and twirled it around so that he could stab with it. "I'm through with you." The dagger came down.

* * *

"You're going to kill me?!" Melody cried out. "But I didn't do anything! I didn't even ask to be brought here! Just bring me back up to the surface and let me continue on my quest!"

"You've seen too much," Naresha said. "We can't let you go. There's no guarantee that you won't tell anyone about us."

Rainstorm straightened with a jerk and climbed to her feet. "She must go," she said, her voice strong with power. Her unfocused eyes stared straight ahead. "There is a great work that must be done. Many have been called, but only seven are chosen. The First will know who is chosen and who is not. The First must save the world." Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she collapsed.

"Uh…" Melody stared at the still form of Rainstorm in shock. "What… just happened?"

Naresha ignored her and called out to the guards. They quickly trotted over to the Elders and bowed, their keen eyes sweeping over Melody and Rainstorm.

"I need Gloristar. Pronto!" Naresha snapped. Her eyes shifted towards Rainstorm, but she quickly looked away. "Go!"

The guards scampered out of the room, their eyes wild with fear. Fear of who—Naresha, Rainstorm, or Gloristar—, Melody wasn't sure. A few minutes of awkward silence passed and then a young sufa with light green eyes stepped into the room. Her coat had a dark red hue with specks of white sprinkled over it. A gold bracelet with many precious stones set into it hung from around her horn and her left ear was pierced with a small silver hoop. To her greatest surprise, it was the Elders that bowed to the newcomer, not the other way round. This had to be Gloristar.

"What did she say?" Gloristar asked, her voice soft and wispy like the gentle breeze of a warm summer day.

"She spoke of the ancient prophecy of the Chosen Seven and of the First's role," Pyre answered. "And…"

"And what?"

Naresha nodded in Melody's direction. "I think… the human set it off."

"Set what off?" Melody asked. "And what's this prophecy you're talking about? Rainstorm's not a seer, is she?"

Dowd sighed softly and glanced at Melody. "Well, we might as well tell you everything, seeing as how you're going to find out sooner or later. That is, if we have your permission, Gloristar?"

Gloristar walked over to Rainstorm and nosed her gently. "I will be the one to do the explaining, since I have the clearest understanding of everything." She turned her clouded eyes to Melody.

"You're blind…" Melody gasped. She hastily clamped a hand over her mouth, horrified at what she had just said.

"Thank you for telling me. I might not have noticed otherwise." She smiled broadly and nudged Rainstorm again. "Now… where to start? Hmm…" Her smile faded and she became serious. "No, Rainstorm's not a seer, but she does have the blood of a seer in her veins, which is a very rare thing. For that reason alone she gets occasional glimpses from the Spirit Realm.

"The prophecy… Hundred of years ago a sufa seer by the name of Tross gave the prophecy of the Chosen Seven. That was back in the day that sufas and humans treated each other as equals, so the human race knew about the prophecy too. But humans are forgetful creatures. They soon forgot about the prophecy, just as they forgot that they had once treated us as their equals. Rainstorm only spoke a few lines from the prophecy, right?" she asked the Elders.

"Yes," Pyre said. "Except… She added a new line or two. Something about letting the human go and a great work needing done."

Melody was started to grow very uncomfortable at all of this talk about a prophecy, especially since everyone kept looking at her with curiosity. Hundreds of questions flew around in her mind, begging to be asked. She couldn't ignore them any longer. "What has the prophecy got to do with me?" she asked, deciding to go with the question that bugged her more than any other.

Gloristar answer sent chills down Melody's spine. "Everything."

* * *

Zale ran through the streets, racing against time. Dread clutched at him—dread for what he would find if he didn't arrive in time. He could feel the presence of darke magic close by, which could only mean something bad was or had happened. He knew that if anyone died it would be on his head. He should have been paying better attention to Steven, but lately he'd been too busy worrying over Melody.

He paused as he reached Steven's home. A bed was poking out of a large hole in the wall. He cursed softly and sped towards the hole. Shoving the bed aside, he slipped into the house. His eyes widened in horror at the scene before him. Cole lay facedown in a pool of blood. Steven was draped over his body, crying heavily. The young boy held a bloodstained dagger loosely in his hand—the same hand that he wore the ring on.

Zale stared at the ring in dismay. It glowed softly as if mocking him and then dimmed. "No..."

Steven whirled around at the sudden noise. His pale face seemed to become even paler at the sight of Zale. He sobbed loudly and rubbed at his bloodshot eyes. "I d-didn't-t m-m-mea…" The dagger slipped from his fingers and clattered to the ground.

"Steven," Zale said softly. "This isn't your fault." He took a step towards the boy.

"Yes, it is!" Steven shouted. He climbed to his feet, turned, and raced out of the room, leaving behind a stunned Zale. That was not the response he had been hoping for.

* * *

"Everything?" Melody repeated weakly. Her knees shook, but she forced herself to stay upright.

"Yes," Gloristar said. "Apparently, you are the First. Rainstorm only spoke about the First's role."

"Wait… I can't be one of the Chosen Seven, especially not the First. I'm just a lowly peasant girl! I can't…"

"Yes, you can. Melody, descendant of both the Hero of Time and Zelda, you are destined to save the world."

* * *

Author's Note: I'd like to thank Zacharies Ringweaver, who's my beta-reader for this story. He's done a great job in helping me out with things. Thank you so much, Ringweaver! 


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